Woman sentenced for poetry book fire

TWIN FALLS (AP) - A south-central Idaho woman who set fire to a book of poetry she made for her boyfriend, but that spread and burned down his house, has been sentenced to one to 10 years in prison.

The Times-News reports that Deborah Perez received the sentence Monday in 5th District Court but could avoid prison if she does well in a therapeutic community program run by the Idaho Department of Correction.

Prosecutors say Perez set fire to the poetry book in February while in a jealous, drunken rage, and then was too intoxicated to put the fire out when it started spreading.

The fire caused $57,000 in damage.

Judge Richard Bevan retained jurisdiction and will review Perez's progress after several months in the therapeutic program that includes in-patient alcohol treatment.